About

I’m E., a fine arts specialist (and dealer) who dabbles in interior design & real-estate development. My partner since 2001 is Mike, an actor who took early retirement from the Royal Shakespeare Company. We’ve spent most of our time together living in a lovely house, which we designed (Mike did the architecture, I did the interiors), in one of the world’s most glamorous spots, Sotogrande.

In 2014 we received an irresistible offer for it from one of the original Yeltsin era, Russian Oligarchs. The man known as the Russian Rupert Murdoch. We packed up the car, put our three dogs in the back and headed to (the southwest of) France to embark on the restoration of a glorious period property in a gorgeous little town called Mazamet.

Mike standing in front of our new house

It’s a monumental change of pace for us. No more polo clubs, yachts, dinner parties for thirty, or (literal) princesses living across the street. We had a ton of fun, but it was time for change.

We want a laid back lifestyle and rural France is still a part of the world where we can get it. This blog was created to document the experience, and you’re welcomed to join us on the adventure.

Glad to be following your blog. So, your partner was with The Royal Shakespeare Co., eh? I LOVE Shakespeare. Did several shows in various Chicago theater companies over the years and studied him in university. Shakespeare is, though I’m an atheist, my god. I look forward to reading your blog posts. $Amen$

I don’t have that play on DVD, but I’ve several others. Mike was featured, I believe, in the “Playing Shakespeare” series from the early ’80’s with John Barton, was he not? Does he act any more? I own “Playing Shakespeare” and have watched it several times. Just purchased Richard the Second with David Tennant in the title role. I’ll purchase ‘Pericles” next. Awesome! Probably own 25 or so Shakespeare plays on film.

Yes he was. He got tired of acting. In his words, “…at a certain point in one’s life, one doesn’t want to be asked to wear tights and prance around.”
At which point he decided to buy a house in Spain, then met me, and the rest is history.

Dick Francis was also Welsh and they were friends, so he couldn’t say no.
It was a magical time for the RSC. I’d dare say it was the best group ever during that late 60’s to early 80’s period. (Almost) Everyone there was superb. Dench, Ian Richardson, Mirren, and even visitors like Mia Farrow and Susan Sarandon; And the most glorious choreographer EVER, Gillian Lynne (also did Phantom and Cats.)
I won’t name the bad ones, because I’m practicing politesse 🙂

HI, Just found your blog. I moved to France this year after being disillusioned in the UK. I remember the great plays at the Barbican in the 80’s and then it all moved to SUAvon and that was it. The last one I saw was Richard III – Anthony Sher – brilliant evening. My blog is: judi@judicastille.com still finding my writing feet but enjoying it. Regards, Judi

Yes its good to be here. I have travelled to France many times and by a turn of fate have come to live here much earlier than planned. But that’s ok. I have enjoyed reading about your home and curtain exploits. We are setting up an Atelier here for painting, writing and sewing – dreams to be followed and unwrapping boxes of fabrics hauled around with us for the last five years. The sewing machine will soon be in action and we can at last make our home comfortable. I used to work with a London Interior designer many years ago at the Curtain Exchange and used to sell many antique French curtains and tassels. It was a fun job and a missed opportunity led me to finance rather than design. But now I have no excuses not to go back to what I love. Vive la France!!!

I live in cow country, Limousine, Creuse…dead centre of France almost. A small hamlet Auge. We have an unihabitable ancient barn that I am currently lime mortaring and a funny little house with a garden attached where I am growing herbs and wild flowers. And we have a vegtable garden. Very country living for an ex tax acountant in London!

I live in Limousine, Creuse…dead centre of France almost. A small hamlet Auge. We have an unihabitable ancient barn that I am currently lime mortaring and a funny little house with a garden attached where I am growing herbs and wild flowers. And we have a vegtable garden. Very country living for an ex tax acountant in London!

I’d have to agree with you on that period being the best for the RSC. It’s the era I’m most familiar with and the actors from that time are ones I’ve admired for decades now. I really like the stuff I’ve seen David Tennant in, “Hamlet” and “Richard II”. The current artistic director there, I forgot his name, is doing some great productions, as far as I can tell. Being in Chicago limits my perspective on what the RSC is doing regularly, as I’m not there to see the shows. But, I do like what I’ve seen. I like stuff The Globe Theater has done too, namely, The “Henry IV” plays. Playing Shakespeare is an actor’s dream come true. He wrote parts with the meat just dripping from the bones to be devoured by great performers. My dream is to play Falstaff as I’m now old, and fat, enough to do it. To play him with a cast of actors as wonderful as those I’ve seen at RSC, would be heaven on Earth. I’d die a happy fellow after that. 🙂

I’d certainly like to. Do you happen to have Bill Maher’s or Jon Stewart’s email addresses? I spent several years doing Improv theater here in Chicago years ago. Helped hone my skills. Thanks for the compliments on my writing. Life’s been a long difficult road for me. Wasn’t able to fully pursue my love of acting and writing because of it. I’m grateful I’ve found this avenue to at least get something out there at this point in my life. There are whole theatrical productions going on in my noodle complete with actors, writers, directors, and an audience. I like that I can share the show with whomever comes across it. Getting paid for it would certainly be great. Finding someone to pay me? Well, that’s the thing, isn’t it? 😀

Missing you Pinky. It’s been weeks since the last post! Btw, if you get a chance, could you please send me the recipe for the black bean stew? I finally found dried black beans at a supermarket and want to give it a try but that recipe was one of the ones I lost in the great Hard drive wreck of 2014. 🙂

Polite or not, the argument needed to be made, and you did it with more eloquence and much more patience than I could have mustered. I think I prefer an honest bigot to a patronising “…but we love you despite your sexuality” bigot.

I shall stop there, lest I spoil your lovely new blog by filling it with references to others’ bigotry..!

Though I don’t know the mechanism for doing it, you’ve been kind enough to send two “likes” for comments of mine on WEIT. Thank you; it helps.
Have you started living out of a van, yet? I read that around here, somewhere, and I lived in a 40 foot motor coach for some five years. I hope to return to that flexible lifestyle in time. Traveling was so much better when I could take the cats rather than hire a sitter, and still sleep in my own bed, make coffee in my own kitchen, and so on. Good luck to you and Mike.

Thanks. The van was the only way we could think of to travel comfortably with three rescue dogs. They all have personality issues, so we thought shipping them would be too traumatic.
We actually left Andalusia on the evening of December 9th and arrived south of Paris on the evening of the tenth. We only stopped for short breaks. The most exhausting journey of my life!
Your comments are always interesting, btw.

Thank you. By the way, how do you prefer to be addressed, online? That is, what should I call you?
I have eleven rescue cats and one rescue lizard. He’s a black and white Argentinian tegu, about 3 feet long, and thinks — of course — that he’s one of the cats. They all seem to go well together. We’re a family.
Are you, Mike, and your three dogs still in the camper? If so, I’ll start the advice giving. 🙂

Pinky! I need your superior French. Just stumbled onto a blog post about ‘calligrams’ – pictures made of words within a normal text.

‘Guillaume Apollinaire produced an unusual book. It had, scattered within its pages type that was formed into shapes and patterns. This odd way of writing was then granted his name, and such patterns are known as calligrams.’

Is that each person’s sexual identity isn’t something we can decide at, say, age 12 or 21. We don’t get to choose whether or not we want to have, whether we’re going to have a single heart or maybe an alternate design, two smaller hearts, one on each side of our chest. And I’ve heard that a cross-hatch chest bone structure would provide more protection than the rib system we have. Again my point, we don’t get to decide these things, our basic design as well as who we are going to be are decided well before we are born into this world.

And something else, we owe. We owe God. We haven’t made ourselves, God made us and he owns us (though he complains he’s not all that sure he want’s too.) About that, the jury’s still out. He wants people who want him, and the other’s can remain the property of the god-of-this-world. (That would be the devil.) And though God would like everyone to like him, to love him, he’s willing to let us make our own choice in this important matter.

Now maybe you’re thinking that for a myriad of reasons some come into this world with various handicap’s, some physical, some mental, and some, no doubt, have orientation issues. (I learned this from someone I met a few years ago.) No fault of her’s, she prefer’s women. It seems she was born this way.

Let’s look at this…

Some will just make the convenient choice, but what does God say?, what did Jesus say?, that we’re responsible to obey God no matter our circumstances. We can’t in every situation, that’s the simple truth. And about that, we’re too follow Jesus, which means that when we fall down we are to get up and continue on. This is called being a Christian, and their is no life without Jesus.

I know, you think that’s not true, that their is. Well, like I said, without Jesus, their is no life, Not for nothing he’s called the “Light of this world.”

And why did he come to earth? For me, for you, for each of us. And what does the Bible say?, that he was asked why he had come and responded that (one reason,) was to destroy the works of the devil.

So don’t ignore him. Jesus is your only hope, he actually is the only hope this world has.

Okay, that’s your choice. I won’t post here further if I’m upsetting you. But life is full of choices and you’ve just made one.

Though please realize this, all we are, also the world we live in, we’re living in a system of things that was created for us, our universe didn’t happen without a planner and maker. And he’s on record (Roman’s 1, v16 to the end of the chapter,) as rejecting gays.

So yes you can reject the Christian faith, but one day you’ll be asked to give an account, each of us will have to do this, and what does the Bible say about this?, that all of us are sinners, not one meets the required standard, but with that, God has provided a forgiveness mechanism.

What a charmed life you both seem to lead! I love the photo of your home in Sotogrande, but the one in Mazamet looks even nicer. btw: I enjoyed your little correction of punctuation in one of my comments. I often take it upon myself to edit and correct. 🙂

I love being annoying 😀
And thank you. I can’t (or at least I shouldn’t) complain too much about life. I do have the once or twice a month existential crisis, but I do my best to keep all that under control.

Pink, I’ve lossed your email, so i’ll put this here. Maxmello has started a new crowdfunding effort. They were sponsored recently by Pedigree (I think it was Pedigree?) who’ll supply food for 12 months, thank Neptune! and Sandra now wants (needs) to do construction work to house the dogs from the second shelter… to bring them all together. Link below to the crowdfunding page. If you can help, great, but I know you’ve already helped, so it’s entirely up to you.

I looked and I can set aside about 15k (USD) in silverware to send your way. Tiffany & co, Christofle etc. If they can get raffles/auctions going that amount should be tripled or quadrupled. Is everyone up for the challenge? It’ll take a bit of coordination.

Oh, now my turn to be amused! My husband is a builder, I’m an Interior Designer. Though I’ve also run my own restaurant, been a longtime radio host and spent over 20 yrs counseling people 😉 But we’ve teamed up as you two have for two decades (only no Oligarchs!). Glad we’re connected! 😀

Very close match indeed! Don’t wish for an oligarch, though. It can turn your life upside down. I can’t tell you how wonderful it is to have moved to the middle of nowhere and live in perfect anonymity 🙂

I really have to find your email. Pink, my wife’s sister (who lives in Australia) started this small campaign to help cover a rash a vet surgery bills accumulated over this summer which was atrocious for the number dumped animals in our area. If you can lean in, wonderful.

Found your blog when googling what Mike Gwilym was up to…I’m directing a production of Pericles in the near future and his performance in the 1984 BBC production is brilliant. Just to be clear, does he no longer do any Shakespeare of any limited engagement for fun anymore, at all? Seems very sad to hang it up completely when one is so good at the Bard’s words, and there are all sorts of roles in Shakespeare for when you get older!

Salut, E …. I’m always late parade – no excuses just a statement. Anyway, I have been meaning to follow you for an age. But tell me, how do I do this …. does it need to be via email – I don’t seem to see a convenient WordPress button (which is fine if that’s how you want it, but I thought I would check first. I enjoy your wisdoms and will further enjoy your posts, I am certain. Toodlepip, Osyth

Here is the description I wrote for the Amazon page: “One day, the Norse god of the Moon, Máni, was ripped from his body and incarnated as a boy, Manuel. For 15 years the Moon’s influence waned, and the world decayed. Now Sól, goddess of the Sun, has deemed it necessary to return Manuel to godhood. But with evil wolves aided by the god of day, what chance do they have?”